Books you can't live without

Bella · #1 02-03-2006, 11:30 PM

We all have them - the books that we can't live without. Which ones do you reach for, and why?

Note that I didn't say "cookbooks." I didn't want to limit the topic, since there are tons of books on food that are just as helpful as regular ol' cookbooks with recipes.

Godwhacker · #2 02-04-2006, 12:19 AM

Anything by Vonnegut.

pescifish · #3 02-04-2006, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godwhacker

Anything by Vonnegut.

Breakfast of Champions?

Joy of Cooking, that's my mainstay.
I don't use recipes when I'm cooking (and I'm not a very good cook, either...). But I read the front section of the chapters in this book to figure out standard techniques and check the recipes for basic ingredient combinations. If I'm going to bake something, I need the recipes, though.

What are yours, Bree? Has your list of 'can't live without's changed now that you've gone through the culinary training?

Godwhacker · #4 02-04-2006, 01:51 AM

[QUOTE=pescifish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godwhacker

Anything by Vonnegut.

Breakfast of Champions?

One of my favorites!

Miss Shelby · #5 02-04-2006, 01:58 AM

My dictionary. (I'm kind of illiterate)

Michelle

fragment · #6 02-04-2006, 02:13 AM

London A-Z

Veritas · #7 02-04-2006, 02:23 AM

Self-improvement manuals written by long-dead Roman emperors.

They're my secret (well not any more) shame. :blush:

livius drusus · #8 02-04-2006, 02:24 AM

Now you have something else in common with Bill Clinton. :giggle:

Veritas · #9 02-04-2006, 02:26 AM

I did not have sex with that woman!

Veritas · #10 02-04-2006, 02:26 AM

Oh, and neither did I inhale.

Bella · #11 02-08-2006, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pescifish

What are yours, Bree? Has your list of 'can't live without's' changed now that you've gone through the culinary training?

Yeah, it's kinda funny - but they have.

Prior to school, I was a huge Rachel Ray fan. Simplicity and ease of use - that's my name of the game. This was of course before she got to be Food Network's Whore of Babylon with her face plastered on everything. Her first book is a wonderful thing. I also loved (and still love) Alton Brown. liv also gave me a great book called "The Elements of Taste" which is FABULOUS.

Now that I'm done and out, I go more for reference. I own "Culinary Artistry" which I go to to cross-reference flavour combinations. I love Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" because of its sound science. Ditto for Rose Levy Berenbaum's 'bibles' (though that's mostly pastry and baking stuff). And Cooks Illustrated anything is fabulous as well.